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There have been countless renditions of Bohemian Rhapsody over the years, but this latest cover making the rounds may even have Freddie Mercury searching for the words: Queen’s iconic anthem sung … in Minionese.
People are going, shall we say, bananas on social media over TikTok creator Ella Mott’s rendition of the 1975 hit at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre on Sunday night during the premiere of Minions & Monsters, the latest installment in Illumination’s Despicable Me franchise.
In the now viral clip, with more than 420,000 views on Instagram at the time of posting, Mott belts out the dramatic, operatic rock classic — but in the high-pitched, excitable, cartoonish babble of the Minions.
Other viral clips showed audience members perplexed by the performance, but amused — even impressed — nonetheless.
If you haven’t already deduced, Minionese — also known as the “Banana Language” — is purely gibberish, borrowing syllables and words from real-world languages, including English. Among its most recognizable words are “banana,” “bapple” and “potato” — perhaps appropriate for creatures famously obsessed with food.
And according to many on Instagram and other social media platforms, Mott pulled off her Minionese rendition flawlessly, with fans praising the performer for her unusual talent.
“Freddie Mercury would’ve been proud … somehow,” one user commented on X.
Another wrote on Instagram: “I am moved to tears.”
Mott appears to be quite fluent in Minionese. Her TikTok account features several videos of her speaking the Banana Language, including a tongue-in-cheek impression of a Minion influencer posting an “apology video.”
This also isn’t the first time Mott’s Minionese-language rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody has gone viral. A video she posted to TikTok in January gained more than seven million likes and 38 million views.
The ‘MINIONS & MONSTERS’ Hollywood premiere held a Minionese singing contest.<br><br>The winner sang “I’ll Be There” by the Jackson 5 and was given a Golden Banana. <a href=”https://t.co/ntAkzgAv7h”>pic.twitter.com/ntAkzgAv7h</a>
—DiscussingFilm
As for why Mott was performing Mercury’s classic in Minionese, it turns out it was all part of a Minion singing contest held during the new movie’s premiere. According to film and television outlet DiscussingFilm, the winner performed I’ll Be There, the 1970 hit by the Jackson 5, and took home a Golden Banana.
Minions & Monsters, the Despicable Me franchise’s seventh feature film, arrives in theatres on July 1.
